CUSTOMER-ORIENTED LOCATIONAL PERSONAL PREFERRED SEATING COMFORT SETTINGS

Abstract

A method for operating a customer-oriented mobile personal vehicle seat position system comprises generating pressure sensor profiles in response to a user sitting in a vehicle seat of a first vehicle with a seat base and a backrest, correlating the pressure sensor profiles with individual user tasks, performing data reduction of the pressure sensor profiles after correlating with the individual user tasks, and encoding profiles for multiple preferred seat comfort settings.

Description

INITIATIONThe present disclosure relates to systems for adjusting seating comfort in vehicles.Existing vehicle seats allow an occupant or user to place a seat base and seat back in a preferred seating position and store the preferred seating position for one or more vehicle users when the vehicle is later placed into operation by actuating a predetermined button, key fob, or digital switch. The preferred seating position is generally limited to determining seat distance and seat back inclination, and in some vehicles, a lumbar support is also controlled. During later vehicle operation, the user may retrieve the preferred seat position by pressing the predetermined button, fob, or digital switch.The current preferred settings for the seat position in the vehicle are therefore manually selected and only maintained in the vehicle for which the user originally set the preferred seat position. When the user buys or moves over a second or different vehicle, the preferred settings for the seat position must be re-established and may not exactly match the original seat position set for the user's comfort. Moreover, with current preferred seat position settings, the seat may not be altered during operation of the vehicle to accommodate, for example, changes in user comfort during extended driving.While current systems and methods for selecting and storing a vehicle user preferred seat position serve their purpose, there is a need for a new and improved system and method for selecting and storing a user selected vehicle seat position from one vehicle to another.SUMMARYIn several aspects, a method of operating a custom-oriented, portable personal vehicle seat position system includes generating pressure sensor profiles in response to a user seated on a vehicle seat of a first vehicle having a seat base and a seat back, correlating the pressure sensor profiles with individual user tasks, performing data reduction of the pressure sensor profiles after correlating with the individual user tasks, and encoding profiles for a plurality of preferred seating comfort settings.In another aspect of the present disclosure, the method further comprises positioning a first set of pressure sensors in the seat base, thereby creating a first set of pressure sensor profiles, and disposing a second set of pressure sensors in the seat back, thereby creating a second set of pressure sensor profiles.In another aspect of the present disclosure, the method further comprises configuring the first set of pressure sensors in a first arrangement in the seat base to collectively generate the first set of pressure sensor profiles.In another aspect of the present disclosure, the method further comprises configuring the second set of pressure sensors in a second arrangement in the seat back to collectively generate the second set of pressure sensor profiles.In another aspect of the present disclosure, the method further comprises receiving and storing the first set of pressure sensor profiles, the second set of pressure sensor profiles, and the plurality of preferred seating comfort settings in a module and forwarding the plurality of preferred seating comfort settings from the module to the user upon request from the user during a second or later vehicle operation.In another aspect of the present disclosure, the method further comprises generating an output signal using a signal combiner that combines the first set of pressure sensor profiles from the first pressure sensor and the second set of pressure sensor profiles from the second pressure sensor, forwarding the output signal to a signal analyzer, generating seat pressure profiles from the first set of pressure sensor profiles and from the second set of pressure sensor profiles, and performing signal encoding using the seat pressure profiles to generate a set of Fourier shape descriptors (FSD).In another aspect of the present disclosure, the method further comprises storing the plurality of preferred seating comfort settings in a customer profile database, retrieving the plurality of preferred seating comfort settings from the customer profile database, and adjusting a second vehicle seat of a second vehicle using one of the plurality of preferred seating comfort settings.In another aspect of the present disclosure, the method further comprises encoding the profiles for a plurality of preferred seating comfort settings for a short driving event or for a long driving event and selectively requesting one of the profiles for a plurality of preferred seating comfort settings for the short driving event or for the long driving event.In another aspect of the present disclosure, the method further comprises encoding the profiles for a plurality of preferred seating comfort settings as a first set of driving tasks when the user defines a vehicle occupant and as a second set of non-driving tasks when the user defines a vehicle occupant.In another aspect of the present disclosure, the method further includes operating an operator interface to enable the user to visualize, record, and / or manipulate the profiles for a plurality of preferred seating comfort settings.In several aspects, a method for generating and using a customized portable profile for personal preferred vehicle seat comfort settings includes measuring first pressure distributions of a user in contact with a first vehicle seat, calculating pressure profiles for a seat cushion and a seat back of the first vehicle seat, creating a compact representation of the pressure profiles with a finite set of Fourier shape descriptors (FSD) in a reduction model, and encoding the finite set as a user preferred comfort setting profile for a first vehicle, and storing the preferred comfort setting profile in a user profile database located in the first vehicle or in a cloud storage system.In another aspect of the present disclosure, the method further comprises informing of the change in a layout of the first vehicle seat during travel to compare a modified pressure distribution with stored values encoded in the preferred comfort setting profile, and switching the layout of the first vehicle seat when a duration of travel changes between a short duration operation, a medium duration operation, and a long duration operation.In another aspect of the present disclosure, the method further comprises informing about automatic changes in the profile for user's preferred comfort settings during short duration operation, medium duration operation, and long duration operation.In another aspect of the present disclosure, the method further comprises automatically performing dynamic interpolation between values of the profile via preferred comfort settings.In another aspect of the present disclosure, the method further comprises measuring second pressure distributions for the user seated on a second vehicle seat of a second vehicle, applying the reduction model to produce a compact representation of the second pressure distributions, and comparing the first pressure distributions with the second pressure distributions, and applying differences between the first pressure distributions and the second pressure distributions to control the adjustment of the second vehicle seat.In another aspect of the present disclosure, the method further comprises loading a customer profile having multiple different profiles for user preferred convenience settings into an operator interface to visualize, record, and edit the customer profile.In another aspect of the present disclosure, the method further includes selecting the user interface from among a smartphone, a tablet, a web page, a key fob, and a computer.In several aspects, a method of positioning a personal vehicle seat position system includes recording pressure profiles generated between a vehicle seat and a user of a first vehicle, correlating the pressure sensor profiles with individual user tasks performed by the user during operation of the first vehicle, performing a data reduction of the pressure sensor profiles after correlating with the individual user tasks to generate a finite set of scalars applied to encode profiles for multiple preferred seat comfort settings of the user, storing the profiles for multiple preferred seat comfort settings in a customer profile database, and retrieving the pressure sensor profiles of the user during operation of the first vehicle, and changing a layout of the vehicle seat to obtain another one of the profiles for preferred seat comfort settings as a duration of vehicle operation changes.In another aspect of the present disclosure, the method further comprises retrieving the customer profile database and forwarding the customer profile database to a second vehicle.In another aspect of the present disclosure, the method further comprises applying one of the profiles for preferred seat comfort settings to control a setting of a second seat in the second vehicle.Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description herein. It is to be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. FIG. 1 shows a vehicle seat with a seat positioning system suitable for use with a customized movable profile for preferred comfort settings, according to an exemplary aspect, in a side view. FIG. 2 shows a system flow diagram that provides signal processing and communication components for transmitting information from the first vehicle of FIG. 1 to a second vehicle. FIG. 3 is a flow chart of transmitting seat pressure profile data to a data reduction unit and generating seat pressure profile data. FIG. 4 shows a flow diagram for encoding a finite set of Fourier shape descriptors using pressure profiles generated by the vehicle seat of FIG. 1. FIG. 5 shows a diagram with a plurality of seat pressure profiles.DETAILED DESCRIPTIONThe following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or use.Referring to FIG. 1, a customized profile movable system 10 for preferred seating comfort settings includes a vehicle seat 12 provided in a first vehicle 14, the vehicle seat 12 being suitable for use with the customized profile movable system 10 for preferred seating comfort settings. As used herein, the term "customized" is defined to refer to the needs, expectation, or desire of a particular customer. The seat 12 may include a seat base 16 and a seat back 18 that rotates with respect to the seat base 16. In several aspects, the first vehicle 14 may include one or more seats 12. An example user 20 defining a vehicle operator, customer, or passenger of the vehicle 14 is shown in a seated position on the seat 12. The user 20 may choose to change the position of the seat base 16 and the seat back 18. To change the seat position, the seat 12 is slidably supported on a rail frame 22 fixed to a vehicle frame 24. To adjust a position of the seat base 16, a first seat position switch 26 is actuated by the user 20 to slidably displace the seat base 16 in an upward direction 28, an opposite downward direction 30, a forward direction 32, and an opposite rearward direction 34. To adjust the position of the seat back 18, a second seat position switch 36 allows the user 20 to rotate the seat back 18 in a forward turning arc 38 and an opposing rearward turning arc 40. The user 20 adjusts the positions of the seat base 16 and the seat back 18 to initially establish at least one user preferred position associated with a user task, e.g., a driving task or activity, such that the user 20 can conveniently reach a steering wheel 42 mounted on a dashboard 44 and a series of pedals 46 when the user task is performed.It has been found that the comfort feeling of seated users correlates with the spatial distribution of contact pressure at the interfaces between the occupant or user 20, a particular seat such as seat 12, and a particular action user 20 performs while seated on seat 12, e.g., a trip. In several aspects, the seat base 16 of the present disclosure includes at least one first seat base sensor 48 for sensing contact pressure that generates a first pressure signal 50 when the user 20 is positioned on the seat base 16 that is partially used to generate a profile for preferred seat comfort settings. The seat back 18 of the present disclosure also includes at least one second pressure sensor 52 that generates a second pressure signal 54 when the user 20 contacts the seat back 18, which is also used to generate the profile for preferred seating comfort settings.In several aspects, the at least one first pressure sensor 48 of the seat base defines a plurality of first pressure sensors configured in an array in the seat base 16 and collectively generating the first pressure signal 50. In several aspects, the at least one second seat back pressure sensor 52 defines a plurality of second pressure sensors configured in an array within the seat back 18 and collectively generating the second pressure signal 54. The customized portable profile system 10 for preferred seating comfort settings may also provide a module 56 that determines system operating options that may store the first pressure signal 50 and the second pressure signal 54 at the time the user 20 decides that the seating configuration setting is comfortable. The first pressure signal 50 of the at least one first seat base pressure sensor 48 and the second pressure signal 54 of the at least one second seat back pressure sensor 52 are analyzed, as discussed with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, to generate the profiles for the preferred seat comfort settings based on the user-generated pressure profiles.The user 20 may also releasably fix the positions of the seat base 16 and the seat back 18 to repeat the selected seating positions during later uses of the first vehicle 14 by operating one of a plurality of position switches 58 located on a seating position selection unit 60 as a starting point for a seating position. The releasably fixed positions of the seat may then be further altered by individual profiles for preferred seat comfort settings. The seat position selection unit 60 may be located at any location accessible by the user 20. In addition to or in place of using the seat position selection unit 60, the user 20 may repeatedly engage the seat positions using a key fob 62 provided with the first vehicle 14, or repeatedly engage the seat positions using a personal device 64, such as a smartphone, by displaying the selection of the seating comfort level on an operating surface 66 of the personal device 64.First seat pressure distribution profiles of the user 20 seated on the seat base 16 and the seat back 18 are passed to a data reduction model, discussed in more detail with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, that converts the first seat pressure distribution profiles into compact representations using data reduction models, also discussed further below. The compact representations are returned to the first seat pressure distribution profiles and used to create individual profiles for preferred seat comfort settings.Referring to FIG. 2 and again to FIG. 1, the first seat pressure distribution profile corresponding to the time the user 20 adjusts the seat 12 in the first vehicle 14 to a comfortable position for the user 20 is a user-centric measure of a comfortable seat design setting for the user 20 and for the particular user activity, such as driving. When the user 20 moves to another vehicle, e.g., a second vehicle 78 having another seat with different seat position settings and different seat features, setting a different seat configuration in such a way that a second seat pressure distribution profile similar to the first seat pressure distribution profile is achieved results in a more comfortable experience for the user 20 performing the same operation, such as driving in the second vehicle 78, than if the seat configuration settings, e.g., a seat base angle or a seat back inclination angle, were directly duplicated from the first vehicle 14, in the second vehicle 78.In several aspects, pressure signal data may be retrieved to develop preferred seating comfort settings for the first vehicle 14 as well as for other vehicles, such as a second seat of a second vehicle 78. The customized portable personal seating position system 10 provides for the transfer of the stored preferred seating comfort settings of the first vehicle 14 to the second vehicle 78, or any other vehicle suitable for the operation of the customized portable personal seating position system 10. To adjust the selected and stored preferred seating comfort settings of the first vehicle 14 for transmission, a signal combiner 68 receives the first pressure signal 50 from the first pressure sensor 48 and the second pressure signal 54 from the second pressure sensor 52 and generates an output signal 70. the output signal 70 is passed to a signal analyzer 72, which generates seating pressure profiles from the pressure data of the first pressure sensor 48 and the second pressure signal 54 of the second pressure sensor 52. The seat pressure profiles are passed to a converter 74 which performs signal encoding to produce a finite set of descriptors or scalars derived from the seat pressure profiles and described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. The compressed finite set of descriptors or scalars from the converter 74 is stored as the user convenience profile 76. The converter 74 receives the seat pressure profiles and performs signal encoding using a trained data reduction model to generate the profile for the preferred seat comfort settings, e.g., D OA.In several aspects, to transmit the user convenience profile 76 to the second vehicle 78, the user convenience profile 76 may be forwarded to a multiplexer 80 that allows multiple output formats for transmitting the user convenience profile 76. The personal device 64 of the user 20 may be used to transmit the comfort profile 76. The user convenience profile 76 may also be wirelessly uploaded to an information technology cloud infrastructure storage system 82 to be later transmitted, for example, by vehicle vending or service personnel of the second vehicle 78. A key fob 84 of the second vehicle 78 may also be programmed to receive the user comfort profile 76. Additionally, an infotainment system 86 of the second vehicle 78 may be programmed to receive the user comfort profile 76.Referring to FIG. 3 and again to FIGS. 1 and 2, seat pressure profiles for the seat base 16 and the seat back 18 are used to understand and address vehicle seat comfort problems. In several aspects, first pressure profiles are recorded between the seat 12 and the user 20, such as a first pressure profile 88 of the seat base 16. Additionally, second pressure profiles are recorded between the seat back 18 and the user 20, such as a second pressure profile 90 of the seat back 18. The first pressure profile 88 and the second pressure profile 90 are passed to a data reduction unit 92, which may include a first data reduction unit portion 94 and a second data reduction unit portion 96, each of which may take the form of a principal component analyzer (PCA), a variation autoencoder (VAE), a generator, such as a generative inertial network (GAN), a transformer, and the like. The data reduction unit 92 encodes a compact and robust representation or shape of the seat pressure profiles as a finite set of scalars 98 that range from a first element 100 to a last element 102 and are derived from the pressure profiles. From the print profiles and the set of scalars 98, user convenience print profiles for the user 20 are generated and stored in a database.The features of the seat pressure distribution profiles relevant to determining comfort for the user 20 may be encoded in a data set 104 that is less than a full pressure map for the seat base 16 and the seat back 18. In the following discussion, D OA defines a profile for preferred seating comfort settings for the user 20 during a first operation, such as a driving operation. Several approaches are possible to encode the most important features of the seat pressure distribution profile in the more compact representation (D OA). Examples of suitable approaches from the statistical and machine learning fields include principal component analysis, (variation) autoencoders, the generator portion of generative adventitial networks, transformers, and the like. According to a further aspect, expert knowledge is used to control the creation of profiles for preferred comfort settings from the body pressure distributions. For example, longitudinal and transverse pressure profiles are created using descriptors for pressure maps of the seat base 16 and pressure maps of the seat back 18 representing shapes of the longitudinal and transverse pressure profiles, whereby a preferred comfort setting profile comprises a finite set of descriptors thus obtained.In addition to the above-identified profile D OA, which defines the preferred seating comfort setting profile for the user 20 during the first operation, such as the driving operation, profiles for multiple additional preferred seating comfort settings of the user 20 seated on the vehicle seat 12 may be generated from the multiple pressure sensor signals. A profile corresponds, for example, to a comfortable seat design for short travel times (D OA-S). Another profile is suitable for long travel times (D OA-L). A further profile is suitable for average travel times (D OA-I). A profile for relaxing on the passenger seat (D OR-FP) may also be provided. Several similar or similar profiles for preferred seating comfort settings may be recorded at vehicle startup and retrieved for later use.Referring to FIG. 4 and again to FIGS. 1-3, as mentioned above, compression profiles for the seat base 16 and the seat back 18 are used to understand and address vehicle seat comfort problems. In several aspects, pressure profiles are recorded between the seat 12 and the user 20, such as a pressure profile 104 of the seat base 16. In a data reduction process, the pressure profiles defining two-dimensional (2D) profiles are converted to one-dimensional (1D) curves of both the seat 12 and known seat bases and seat backs, for example, a transverse pressure profile 106 shown in a first graph 108 represents a first 1D curve 110 having a peak pressure 112. A longitudinal pressure profile 114 is shown in a second graph 116 that shows a second 1D curve 118 that includes a first peak pressure 120 representing a right leg of the user and a second peak pressure 122 representing a left leg of the user.With continued reference to FIG. 4, in several aspects, a set of Fourier shape descriptors (FSD) may be generated from the 1D curves, for example, using an equation 124 encoding a compact and robust representation or shape of the pressure profiles. The individualized user comfort profiles for the user 20 are compactly encoded in a finite data set 126 of FSDs, which extends from a first element 128 to a last element 130 and is derived from the print profiles. The finite data set 126 may be determined once for each vehicle and stored in a customer profile database 132, which may be located in the first vehicle 14 or the information technology cloud infrastructure storage system 82. The recorded pressure profiles of the user 20 are compared to known comfortable seating positions and pressure profiles stored in the database 132. The database 132 defining a customer profile may then be retrieved and used to control the adjustment of the seat 12 in the first vehicle 14, or may be retrieved and used to control the adjustment of one or more seats of any vehicle including the second vehicle 78 described with reference to FIG. 2. The adjustment may be made by the user 20 or by a technician in a car house. Either the finite set 126 of FSDs or the reconstructed print profiles of database 132 may be shared with others.Referring to FIG. 5 and again to FIGS. 1-4, in several aspects, individualized profiles for preferred seating comfort settings for the user 20 may vary over time, for example, when the user 20 operates the first vehicle 14 over a first route profile 136, for example, having a travel time of one hour or less, such as when driving to work, where a highest seating pressure may be preferred for a short duration of operation. In a second scenario, the profiles for preferred seating comfort settings of the user 20 may vary over time, such as when the user 20 operates the first vehicle 14 over a second route profile 138 with a travel time of from about one hour to about three hours, such as a weekend trip to visit a relative. In the second scenario, an average seat pressure profile for an average operating duration that is lower than the highest seat pressure may be preferred. In a third scenario, the profiles for preferred seating comfort settings for the user 20 may vary over time, for example over a third route profile 140 having a travel time of greater than about three hours, when the user 20 operates the first vehicle 14 on a longer trip. In the third scenario, a lowest seat pressure may be preferred for a long duration operation that is below the average seat pressure.To accommodate different profiles for preferred seating comfort settings, the finite set 126 may be modified to include different comfort profiles for short duration operation and long duration operation. For example, the user 20 may prefer a fixed seat support for short-duration user comfort, but may alter the user comfort profile to provide a softer seat support that is softer than the fixed seat support for long-duration user comfort. The user 20 may manually select the user comfort profile during driving, or the customized portable personal seating position system 10 may automatically change the user comfort profile during driving. In addition, the customized personal location system 10 may also perform dynamic interpolation between the short and long term profile values to determine user comfort profiles between the short and long term profile values.Referring generally to FIGS. 1-5, the graphical user interface, such as the user interface 66 of the personal device 64 shown and described with reference to FIG. 1, may be used to visualize, record, manipulate, and transmit the user comfort profiles, e.g., with a smartphone. Other interfaces available on key fobs, tablets, web pages, off-premises or vehicle retail outlets, personal computers, and the like may also be used. The customized portable personal seating position system 10 allows the user 20 to store user comfort profiles and transmit them from the first vehicle 14 to the second vehicle 78.In several aspects, the customized portable profile system 10 for preferred seating comfort settings of the present disclosure provides a method of operating a customized portable personal vehicle seat position system. The method includes, responsive to a user being seated in the vehicle seat of a vehicle, generating seat pressure sensor profiles from arrays of pressure sensors positioned in a seat base and separately in a seatback of a vehicle seat. The pressure sensor profiles are correlated with individual user tasks, such as driving, reading, resting, and operating the vehicle, over certain periods of time, causing seating comfort for the user to change. The data collected during vehicle operation is reduced to a finite set of scalars in a data reduction unit to enable determination of profiles for preferred seating comfort settings that encode multiple seating pressure profiles from which the user may select or alter seating comfort.A customized portable personal seating position system 10 of the present disclosure provides several advantages. These include that the individualized preferred seating comfort settings of a user can be compactly encoded in a finite set of scalars derived from seating pressure profiles. The set may be unique for any vehicle and stored in the customer profile. The set may also be retrieved and used to control the adjustment of a seat in another vehicle. The adjustment may be made by the customer or by a technician in a car house. The set of scalars or reconstructed pressure profiles may be shared with others to allow a user seating comfort profile to be transmitted to another vehicle.

Claims

A method of operating a custom-made portable personal vehicle seat position system, comprising: generating pressure sensor profiles in response to a user being seated on a vehicle seat of a first vehicle having a seat base and a seat back; correlating the pressure sensor profiles with individual user tasks; performing data reduction of the pressure sensor profiles after correlating with the individual user tasks; and encoding profiles for a plurality of preferred seating comfort settings.The method of claim 1, comprising: positioning a first set of pressure sensors in the seat base that generate a first set of pressure sensor profiles; and mounting a second set of pressure sensors in the seat back that generate a second set of pressure sensor profiles.The method of claim 2, comprising configuring the first set of pressure sensors in a first arrangement in the seat base to collectively generate the first set of pressure sensor profiles.The method of claim 3, comprising configuring the second set of pressure sensors in a second arrangement in the seat back to collectively generate the second set of pressure sensor profiles.The method of claim 4, comprising: receiving and storing the first set of pressure sensor profiles, the second set of pressure sensor profiles, and the plurality of preferred seating comfort settings in a module; and forwarding the plurality of preferred seating comfort settings from the module to the user upon request from the user during a second or later vehicle operation.The method of claim 2, comprising: generating an output signal using a signal combiner that combines the first set of pressure sensor profiles from the first pressure sensor and the second set of pressure sensor profiles from the second pressure sensor and passes the output signal to a signal analyzer, generating seat pressure profiles from the first set of pressure sensor profiles and from the second set of pressure sensor profiles, and performing signal encoding using the seat pressure profiles to generate a set of scalars.The method of claim 1, comprising: storing the profiles for a plurality of preferred seat comfort settings in a customer profile database; retrieving the plurality of preferred seat comfort settings from the customer profile database; and adjusting a second vehicle seat of a second vehicle using one of the plurality of preferred seat comfort settings.The method of claim 7, comprising: encoding the profiles for multiple preferred seating comfort settings for a short driving event or for a long driving event; and selectively requesting one of the profiles for multiple preferred seating comfort settings for the short driving event or for the long driving event.The method of claim 1, comprising encoding the profiles for a plurality of preferred seating comfort settings as a first set of driving tasks when the user defines a vehicle operator and as a second set of non-driving tasks when the user defines a vehicle occupant.The method of claim 1, comprising operating an operator interface to enable the user to visualize, record, and / or manipulate the profiles for a plurality of preferred seating comfort settings.

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